The Rat Left Behind
by Maplefrost
Summary: Dodger…" "No, get away from me!" "You killed me, Dodger…" "No, I-I didn't!" "You left me." "No, I swear I didn't! I didn't know!"
1. The Nightmare

"Dodger…"

That voice…it was calling him again. Jack Dawkins turned in his sleep.

"Dodger…"

Everything was dark. He couldn't see a thing.

"W-who are you?" he stuttered.

But he knew. He knew who it was. How could he forget that voice…that voice…

"Dodger!" The voice yelled, louder this time.

"No!"

Dodger fled, staggering in the darkness. "Don't!" He tripped over, something, and fell face forward.

He opened his eyes. He was surrounded my mist. Jumping up, he saw that he stood in a cobblestone square. Large stone walls rose around him.

"No…" he murmured. "No, no!"

He whipped his head around, looking for an exit, but there was none.

He looked straight ahead, and saw the gallows.

"Dodger!"

There it was again!

"Leave me alone!" Dodger turned around, trying to run.

A figure strode out of the mist, clotched in black, with a noose tied around her neck.

"Dodger…"

"No, get away from me!"

"You killed me, Dodger…"

Fire.

Flames rose around them, enclosing both Dodger and the girl in a circle of heat.

"No, I-I didn't!"

"You left me."

"No, I swear I didn't! I didn't know!"

He backed up, only to feel the heat of the fire licking at his back.

"You left me to the traps, and they 'anged me."

"NO!"

The girl nodded. "Did you know, Dodger?"

"Kn-n-now what?" Dodger asked. The girl strode forward, and he was frozen in place. She cupped her hands around his ear.

"I wasn't dead when they threw me on the pile."

Dodger's eyes widened. "No, no, you were, I saw ya!"

The girl laughed. "I wasn't dead, Dodger! I was burned, burned alive!"

"NO!" Dodger screamed. He couldn't move; he watched as flames started to travel up the girl, and she laughed harder, until all he could see was fire, and he could hear her evil cackling all around him.

The fire closed in. It was getting closer. Soon, it would be on him.

"No, no! Oh, please, no!"

The flames came closer.

"Dodger…"

"Somebody 'elp! Please!"

"You killed me."

Suddenly, the air went cold. The flames, the gallows, the courtyard. They all disappeared.

Dodger awoke, beads of sweat on his brow.

"Dodger…"


	2. The Escape

"Dawkins! Get up, Dawkins!"

Dodger sat up, startled out of his daze. He looked up, and saw that a guard was waiting there for him. He stood up.

"What dya want now?" he muttered under his breath.

The guard narrowed his eyes and opened the cell door. He quickly bound Dodger's hands with rope behind his back. Dodger didn't attempt to struggle; he was too tired.

"Move along then." The guard pushed him ahead. Dodger walked slowly, plodding along.

He let the guard lead him out of the prison, where he was passed on to another trap, who took him down to the train tracks, where he was stuffed into a box car.

Dodger glanced around at some of the other convicts. Some where young, like him, and other were old. A few were middle-aged, and looked extremely angry. Dodger sighed and waited.

----x--X--x----

Dodger, leaning against the wall of the car, tried to sleep. But his dreams were haunted by the girl, and he couldn't stop twitching in his sleep.

----x--X--x----

The next day, the prisoners arrived at the docks. Dodger cooperated as he was shuffled onto the wooden pilings. He looked up at the ships, his eyes pale and glassed over.

Suddenly, a ruckus came from the opposite end of the dock. Before Dodger could figure out what was going on, everyone seemed to be running, arguing, or fighting. The trap guarding him was gone.

"Run, Dodger…"

There it was. Her voice, again. It was so close that Dodger glanced around to see if she was there. Then, with out a thought, he took off, running towards the bushes.

----x--X--x----

He ran.

He ran farther than he'd ever run before. He ran until his lungs and legs burned. He ran until he couldn't run anymore. He collapsed, sweating, on a patch of sandy ground.

He laid there for a while, his body trembling from exhaustion. Was that… water he heard?

Dodger looked up. He was laying a little ways off from a river. With all he could muster, he started to crawl up the river bank.

It took him a while, and many times he fell, sure he couldn't go on, but he kept going. Eventually, he reached a small waterfall surrounded by rocks, with water gathering in a pond and flowing into the river. Dodger crawled up to the shore, filled his hands with water, and drank.

Unable to think, Dodger crawled into a small cave formed by the boulders. He curled up into a ball, and drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	3. The Mule

"Mr. Brownlow! Where are you?"

Oliver called out to his grandfather. He had lost him in the crowd. All he had done was turned to look at a cart by the road and then, he was alone.

"Mr. Brownlow! Ms. Rose! Ms. Rose?!" Oliver continued to jump up and down, trying to see over the heads of the others in the crowd. He looked around, found a large horse-drawn cart, and climbed onto it. On the cart were many crates. He stood on one, lifting a hand to shield the sun from his eyes. "Mr. Brownlow?"

He took a step back, trying to get more of the street in his view. However, his foot slipped, and he fell backwards, his head crashing into another crate. His vision went dark just as the cart started to move.

----x--X--x----

Oliver awoke to a throbbing pain in his head. He was confused and lost. He sat up, taking in his surroundings. He was in a strange place, somewhere he'd never been. He stood up, walking to the edge of the cart, where he slipped off, barely landing on his feet.

He walked as far as he could, dazed and not quite sure where he was going. Eventually, he decided he needed to rest. Oliver found a small crate and curled up inside it, not sure what he was going to do.

----x--X--x----

"Boy. Boy. Boy! Wake up!"

Oliver's eyes shot open. "What?" He looked up, and found himself staring into ice blue eyes, set inside a heavily scarred face. Brown curly hair lined the face, and the hair was home to a ratty black top hat. He accepted the hand that was offered to him, and allowed the girl to pull her up. "Who are you?"

The girl smiled, and bowed, sweeping her hat off her head. "Cora, me dear. But you can calls me Cat. Short fer Catscratch."

Oliver blinked. Where had he heard that name before?

----x--X--x----

_Oliver looked into a store as he walked past. "Wow, look at that necklace. Those jewels are huge!"_

_Dodger, who was walking next to him, turned his head to look. "Yeah. That'd make us a fortune. Too bad it's so locked up like that. Only Catscratch could get that outta there."_

_Oliver gazed up at him. "Who's Catscratch?"_

_Dodger smiled. "Catscratch was the best thief in all of England."_

_Oliver tilted his head. "Was?"_

_Dodger swallowed. "Yup. Was. She was 'elping some other thieves, and she was abandoned by them, so she got captured. The traps 'ung 'er."_

"_They abandoned her? That's horrible. And she's dead?"_

_Dodger nodded. "Yup. She's dead, alright."_

----x--X--x----

Oliver looked at Cat. She was dressed in tattered clothes, which included a shirt, breeches, boots, and a black jacket that went down to the middle of her calves. She was leaning on a black walking stick. "Wot's yer name, son?"

Oliver swallowed, and then remembered his manners. "Oliver Twist, miss," he murmured, bowing awkwardly. Cat chuckled.

"Well, Mr. Twist, wot are ya doin' 'ere in Abingdon?"

"Abingdon?" Oliver blinked. "But, I live in London!"

Cat tilted her head. "London? You're going to London?"

Oliver nodded. "Yes! My grandfather lives there."

Cat grinned. She swung an arm around Oliver's shoulders, starting to walk in the direction from where she came. "Well then, I'll tell ya a secret, Mr. Twist: I'm a'goin' to London, too. Whaddya say we go together?"

Oliver thought a moment, then nodded. "Okay, sure." Cat grinned, and continued to limp in the same direction. They turned a corner. "Whoa!"

In front of them stood a large sorrel mule. The mule was saddled and bridled with cheap yet sufficient tack. Cat leapt onto the beast's back. "Wot? Scully won't 'urt ya, Ollie!"

Oliver gulped. Cat held out a hand, and Oliver let her pull him onto Scully's back. Cat picked up the reins. "To London!"


	4. The Couple

Dodger continued to walk, his feet acing. He'd managed to untie the knot that bound his hands, but his wrists were still a little sore. He had been walking for some time, before he spotted where he was going - London.

-x-X-x-

"Whoa, Scull," Cat muttered. The mule stopped walking. Cat turned and smiled at Oliver.

"Well, Ollie. Where's ya house?"

"Grovner Square," Oliver said.

Cat's eyes widened. "You live wit' the Brownlows?"

Oliver nodded. "Is that a big deal?"

Cat swallowed. "Uh, no, I guess not, but…wow. Rich folk, the Brownlows. Oh, sorry kid." She stopped talking once she spotted Oliver looking uncomfortable.

"It's okay," Oliver told her. Cat grinned and picked up the reins.

"A'ighty, Scully - to Grovner Square!"

-x-X-x-

"Almost there, Ollie," Cat informed Oliver.

Neither had said much on the ride there, for whatever reason. Scully was trotting very fast when someone walked out in front of the mule.

"Whoa, Scull! Whoa!" Cat pulled back on the reins. She slipped off of Scully's back, muttering, "Stay 'ere," to Oliver.

She shook her head, limping towards the person. "I would like tae know, 'o would be so dumb as to walk right out in front of a mule, you idio-"

"Dodger?"

Oliver recognized the figure immediately, by the hat and his face. Cat went stiff, tilting her hat up.

"Cat?"

Dodger took his hat off. "Cat, I-"

"YOU!" Cat took a step forward, her fist raised. "I'll kill ya!"

Dodger's eyes were wide. "Cat…" Tears started to roll down his face. "Cat, I'm sorry!"

"SORRY?" Cat yelled. "You're SORRY?" Her eyes narrowed. "You almost got me KILLED!"

"I know…" Dodger murmured. "I didn't…I didn't mean…" He looked up. "Cat, please…"

"Cat, please don't hurt Dodger!"

Cat looked up at Oliver. "Why shouldn't I 'urt 'im?"

"Because he's my friend," Oliver said. "He helped me when no one would."

Cat looked at Dodger. "You did that?" she asked. Dodger nodded. Cat smiled.

"So, you've changed, eh?" she asked.

Dodger nodded again. "Yes," he muttered.

"I've gotta take Ollie 'ere back tae 'is 'ouse," Cat said. "I'll be back."

Dodger looked up at her, looking confused. "You…you're not gonna kill me?"

Cat chuckled. "No," she said. She reached up and wiped away one of his tears with her thumb. "An' stop cryin'."

Dodger let out a weak laugh as Cat remounted Scully. She winked at Dodger, and looked down the path.

"A'ight, Scully. To Grovner Square!"

-x-X-x-

Cat knocked on the door of the Brownlow's house. Oliver stood in front of her. One of Cat's hands was on his shoulder. He smiled up at her. Cat looked down at him, and smiled back. Both looked up, however, when they heard the door opening.

"Oliver!"

"Ms. Rose!"

Oliver ran into Rose's arms. Rose looked back into the house. "Uncle, it's Oliver!"

Mr. Brownlow appeared at the door in seconds. "Oliver! Where've you been, my boy?" He let out a hearty laugh. Then, he looked past Oliver. "And who's this?"

Cat half bowed, half curtsied in front of Mr. Brownlow, sweeping her hat off her head with her cane-hand. "Cora, sir. But 'm called 'Cat'." She glanced up at Mr. Brownlow.

"Well, hello there, miss," Mr. Brownlow replied. "How did you come to be here."

"Well," Cat said. "I was walking' through Abingdon, an' I found Ollie 'ere, an' 'e said 'e lost. Looked it, too. So, I brought 'im here."

Mr. Brownlow grinned. "Well, I must thank you, Cat, for bringing my grandson home."

"Yes, thank you," Rose added in.

Cat grinned. "You're welcome, all of ya." She looked down at Oliver. "You be good, a'ight, Ollie?"

Oliver pulled Cat into a hug. "I will. Visit, okay?"

Cat chuckled. "Ollie, your Grandfatha doesnae want trach like me in 'is 'ouse."

"What are you talking about?" Mr. Brownlow asked. "You're welcome here, Ms. Cat."

Cat's eyes widened, and then she grinned. "Well thank you, sir." She backed up, and looked at Ollie. "Take care, kid."

-x-X-x-

The next day, Oliver and Rose were going out to market. They were walking down the path away from the house.

"Look, it's a mule!" Rose said. "Look, Oliver!"

Oliver followed her finger. Scully was standing near a large oak tree. He looked at the tree, and saw that Dodger was sitting under the tree, with his hat tipped over his eyes. He was about to yell, "Hey, Dodger!" when he spotted a figure creeping towards the sleeping pickpocket. Oliver recognized the figure to be Cat. She was holding something in her hand. She lifted her fist, and chucked a rock at Dodger.

"Wot?" Dodger jumped up, grabbing his hat before it hit the ground. He whipped his head around, and spotted Cat. "Oh, no ya don't!" Dodger ran rehind her, hugging her from behind. Cat laughed, tilting her head and giving him a peck on the lips.

"Isn't that Cat? And…that's the boy that they arrested in the warehouse!" Rose gasped.

Oliver gulped. "Please, don't tell anyone it's him," he murmured.

"You thought I'd turn him in?" Rose asked. "If anything, I'd want to help him clear his name. He seemed like a decent man."

Oliver smiled, and kept walking.

* * *

The End! Did you like it? Did you hate it? Tell me in a reviewwww. Flames will go into a fire for Dodger and Cat to cuddle in front of. Dawww.

I like, love writing fluff. It makes me happy^^ But I HATE doing long, chaptered stories. I think I'll stick to one-shots from now on.


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